The field of the invention is pottery and the invention relates more particularly to the forming of pottery greenware. The invention further relates to pottery bowls of the type used most commonly for the growing of plants which include a catch tray and a passageway from the pottery bowl to the catch tray for the passage of water.
Typically pottery bowls having a catch tray are molded in two separate processes. One process forms the bowl and the second forms the catch tray. These may be either glazed and fired separately or together where they are held together by the fusing of the glaze from the bowl portion to the catch tray portion. The use of two separate parts increases the labor involved to fabricate the bowl and catch tray and further increases the cost of shipping and results in additional breakage if the two parts are separate.
Recently an efficient process has found acceptance in high volume pottery forming operations which utilizes a ram press and a male and female mold which molds exude water through the walls thereof to assist in removing the formed greenware piece after it has been formed in the mold. In the past however, the bowl was molded in one mold and the tray in a second mold.